Company News in Brief

Half-year to 30 June

Brent Chemicals International boosted pre-tax profit 39 per cent from pounds 4.6m to pounds 6.4m, helped by a 20 per cent rise in turnover to pounds 59.9m (pounds 49.9m). The results also benefited from the cost-cutting measures that were implemented last year which included redundancies. Dividend held at 1.6p.

Microvitec, the electronic components maker, reversed pounds 2m taxable loss to make pounds 62,000 pre-tax profit. No dividend.

Unidare, maker of electrical products based in Dublin, lifted pre-tax profits Ir pounds 2.45m (Ir pounds 2.35m). Dividend rose to 4.3p (4.1p).

Alexander Russell, the building products group, fell one third to pounds 600,000 (pounds 900,000) pre-tax profit. Dividend is held at 1p.

Metalrax Group, the engineers, managed to sustain pre-tax profits at pounds 3.3m. Interim dividend is raised to 1p (0.91p).

Helene, the textiles merchant, showed an improvement in pre-tax profits from pounds 706,000 to pounds 812,000. Dividend is 0.65p.

Dinkie Heel, shoe components suppliers, made pounds 110,000 (pounds 90,000) pre-tax profit on lower sales of pounds 3.4m (pounds 3.6m). Interim dividend is held at 0.35p.